Former NFL quarterback Daunte Culpepper, left, flexes his muscles after putting on a jersey of the United Football Leagues's Sacramento Mountain Lions at a news conference in Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday, June 9, 2010. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

I admit it. I was wrong.

Back in May, I wrote a blog questioning why former UCF quarterback Daunte Culpepper chose the UFL over retirement with his NFL career on the decline.

Apparently, the payoff for an UFL quarterback isn’t so bad. All six franchise players, including former Pro Bowl quarterback Jeff Garcia, make $200,000 and the average player makes $55,000 for the eight-game season according to UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue.

The second season of the UFL has seen growth in the talent level of its athletes. Each team has an average of 24 former NFL players and attendance has grown from an average of 9,678 to 16,638 fans according to USA Today.

But there are bigger opportunities Huyghue is looking to create within the UFL. He wants to put more retired athletes in the front office and specifically give them opportunities to own teams.

Though no formal announcement has been made yet, retired Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann told the Orlando Sentinel earlier this week he was close to signing an ownership deal with the Florida Tuskers. The Tuskers are worth $20 million this year and will raise to $30 million next season Huyghue said.

“One of my biggest complaints when I was at the NFL was I didn’t think we did a good enough job of going after our former players and putting them in front office positions,” said Huyghue, a former Vice President for the Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Huyghue first hired former Super Bowl XXII MVP quarterback Doug Williams to work for the Jaguars before Williams joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ front office in 2004. Williams signed on to become a general managerfor one of the UFL’s newest expansion teams in Norfolk, Virginia.

“We’re innovative, we’re new,” Huyghue said. “We can try things like that and give opportunities to people that otherwise might not get that chance.”

The Florida Tuskers will host a free fan event following a live scrimmage Saturday, Aug. 28 at the Citrus Bowl from 9 a.m. to noon.

Players and coaches will sign autographs and meet with fans after the game. Inflatable games will be set up for children and the Central Florida Blood Bank will be on site giving away tickets to the Tuskers’ home opener against the defending UFL champions Las Vegas Locomotives Sept. 30 for those who register to donate.

Season and single game tickets are now available. Individual tickets range from $15-30 and can be purchased directly from the Florida Tuskers by calling 407-545-8123 or visiting Amway Arena.

With the addition of Jeff Garcia, Daunte Culpepper, Ahman Green, etc to the UFL league, does that make you interested in attending any of the Tuskers’ games?

The UFL is not an ending for former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jeff Garcia. If things go well, Garcia hopes to rejoin the NFL.

(Hey, it won’t be the first time the NFL has seen a 40-year-old quarterback).

Garcia told ESPN’s Mike and Mike in the morning show Thursday morning why he signed on with the UFL’s Omaha Nighthawks joining former NFL RB Ahman Green.

“…And really answer some questions for myself. Can I really play this game at a high level the way that I think I can and will this allow me a chance to return to the NFL,” Garcia said in a phone interview with the show. “Even though I hit the 40-year-old mark, I don’t feel like age is an issue right now. I feel I still have the ability to play at a very high level and that will be something I’ll be able to see and witness over these next few months.”

Garcia competed for 11 seasons in the NFL from 1999-2009 and was a four-time the Pro Bowl selection. His latest stint was with the Oakland Raiders, but Garcia told ESPN he asked for an early release from the team citing it “that was something I didn’t want to go through at this point in my career.”

It only takes one team to believe in Jeff Garcia enough to give him a shot. Do you believe any team will give Garcia to be a back-up or will his career end in the UFL?

A bloodied Buccaneers qb Jeff Garcia walks off of the field to get medical attention during their game against the San Diego Chargers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL on Sunday, December 21, 2008. The Chargers won the game 41-24. (Jacob Langston/Orlando Sentinel)

Another day, another NFL talent for the UFL.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jeff Garcia has signed on with the UFL’s Omaha Nighthawks joining former NFL RB Ahman Green. Garcia competed with the Bucs for two seasons (2007-08) before signing one-year contract with the Oakland Raiders where he was ultimately let go.

“I am so ready and excited to be heading to the great city of Omaha to represent the Nighthawks of the United Football League,” Garcia said in a statement. “I know that the state of Nebraska has a great passion for football and I can already see that the people of Omaha have fully embraced the Nighthawks. I still have the drive, commitment, and ability to play this game at the highest level and one thing that I definitely share with the people of Omaha is a passion for the game. I look forward to sharing these future experiences with the Nighthawks’ great fans.”